DStv is facing a significant challenge from an old adversary — piracy. This time, however, the landscape has shifted. A decade ago, the threat primarily came from BitTorrent and Usenet downloads; today, it stems from various pirate streaming platforms.
To combat this persistent issue, MultiChoice is investing substantial resources to address copyright infringement both in South Africa and globally.
Having established itself as the leading pay-TV provider in South Africa for 30 years, DStv was launched in 1995 and became the first direct-to-home digital pay-TV service outside the United States. Following the decline of SABC, DStv emerged as an essential service for households that could afford it, reaching 1.5 million subscribers by 2006. Now, MultiChoice boasts 14.5 million DStv subscribers, split between 7 million in South Africa and 7.5 million across the rest of Africa.
Among its key assets is SuperSport, a leader in sports broadcasting that provides DStv customers access to major local and international sporting events.
MultiChoice chairman Elias Masilela remarked on the dual nature of technological advancements in the industry, noting that while they offer numerous benefits, they also facilitate the proliferation of broadcast piracy. He highlighted that illegal streaming services and pirated content are estimated to reduce global industry revenues by 25% to 35% per year, impacting companies like MultiChoice and undermining the livelihoods of those in the creative sector. Furthermore, it hinders economic growth by limiting tax revenues and investment in the video entertainment market.
Masilela emphasised the collective efforts of broadcasters worldwide to combat this pervasive issue, stating, “Together with other broadcasters globally, we are ramping up our initiatives against this widespread problem.”
MultiChoice and its cybersecurity subsidiary, Irdeto, are leading the fight against content piracy in Africa. This includes leveraging advanced anti-piracy technologies, forming strategic alliances with law enforcement and governmental organisations, and conducting public awareness initiatives.
In 2024, MultiChoice, Irdeto, and South African law enforcement conducted 10 significant anti-piracy operations, successfully shutting down Waka TV, a prominent illegal streaming service. They also established a vital partnership between Irdeto’s Anti-Piracy Unit and the Western Cape Provincial Commercial Crime Unit.
However, piracy isn’t the only battle DStv must contend with; traditional online piracy for movies and TV series is resurging. The initial rise of platforms like Netflix, which provided an appealing streaming experience, led many users away from online piracy. Yet, the current fragmentation of content across numerous streaming services has driven some users back to illegal alternatives.
While Netflix centralised access to on-demand video content, today, viewers need subscriptions for multiple platforms such as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Showmax, which can become expensive and cumbersome. Piracy services often aggregate all these titles, providing a convenient solution that attracts many tech-savvy viewers away from legitimate services.
According to Axxess, one of South Africa’s leading Internet service providers, torrent activity has surged by 20% recently, highlighting the growing challenge. Addressing this issue is complex, as tracking, charging, and prosecuting individual offenders is impractical.
In response, MultiChoice has refocused its anti-piracy efforts from targeting smaller IPTV resellers to going after the upstream providers in other countries managing these services. By blocking accounts related to these operators during high-visibility events like live sports, they aim to deter users from resorting to illegal services.
In its latest half-year report, MultiChoice revealed it had initiated 233 anti-piracy court cases, an increase from 111 during the previous year. However, the second half of the year’s figures were not included in the annual report released earlier in June.
When prompted by MyBroadband for updates on its piracy initiatives, MultiChoice recognised a decrease in the number of anti-piracy cases filed in the latter half of the year. They clarified that this shift reflects a change in strategy rather than diminished enforcement. “We are concentrating our resources on fewer, more impactful cases, focusing on upstream targets that significantly affect users of illegal piracy sites and apps,” MultiChoice stated.
They also noted that their monitoring and anti-piracy technologies had advanced significantly over the past year, enhancing their ability to identify and block access to their platform for piracy operations. MultiChoice aims to strengthen its defences against this ongoing threat to its business and the broader industry.
